The Vampire Diaries 100th Episode Recap: Did Katherine Die?

The Vampire Diaries hit its 100th episode milestone with a rather introspective episode that had the gang reminiscing about their lives thanks to Katherine’s impending death.

We opened to a flashback hundreds of years ago at the birth of Nadia, who was ripped away from her mother after she was only a few minutes old. In the present day, Nadia arrived at the hospital to see her mother going into cardiac arrest. While she was insistent that Katherine was a survivor, Stefan delivered the news that her major organ failure would soon result in Katherine’s death.

The newly-broken-up Damon and Elena were awoken by their respective friends, who were trying to bring the both of them out of their funks. But when Stefan called to deliver the news about Katherine, the entire group gathered at the Salvatore mansion to toast to the hell that Katherine has wreaked on all of their lives. While Stefan tried to comfort a dying Katherine, the rest celebrated her impending demise. But Nadia proved that she would do anything to save her mother and buried Matt alive (without his ring) so that the Salvatores and their friends would be forced to help her.

Stefan and Elena volunteered to go off and help Nadia, who told them that she planned to allow Katherine to take over her body, while Bonnie, Caroline and Jeremy tried to search the grounds for Matt. Katherine continued to dream about her past (now with guest appearances by Damon, who was taunting her), while Damon contemplated suffocating her until Liz came in to stop him.

Out at a traveler’s house, Nadia turned over Stefan and Elena as payment and then spit. The travelers took blood from both Elena and Stefan to perform a ritual, but Elena was shocked when their cuts didn’t heal instantly. As the two of them mended fences, the travelers continued to take their blood until they got what they needed and then sent them on their way.

Meanwhile, Klaus returned after Damon called him to announce that Katherine was dying, but Caroline wasn’t interested in speaking to him. He also brought Rebekah along and she managed to dig up Matt and save him. Later, Klaus told Caroline that he would leave and never return if only she would be honest with him. She insisted that she was young and building a future but moved in to kiss him, confessing her attraction and the two got hot and heavy in the woods.

Inside the mansion, Damon caused Katherine to have a vision of Jenna stabbing her and fooled her into thinking Elijah had returned to her. But Damon’s mind games were cut short when Nadia arrived to perform the spell. She told Katherine the words she needed to chant to perform the spell, but Katherine was more interested in making amends with her daughter than finding a way to prolong her life. “Don’t waste another minute on me. It’s your turn to live,” Katherine told Nadia. “I’ve made selfish decisions my whole life. Let me do the right thing for once.” Nadia was prepared to honor her mother’s wishes, but she angrily told her she refused to stay by her bedside and watch her die.

Stefan returned home to bid Katherine goodbye and then entered Katherine’s dreams, where she was crying over the bodies of her parents. Katherine told him that Damon was right and she didn’t deserve to be loved, but Stefan insisted that the death of her family wasn’t the fault of a young girl. He continued to manipulate her dream to convince her that Nadia was still with her and Katherine floated off into a drug-induced coma.

Later that evening, Stefan told Damon that he should try to get Elena back, claiming that she was the best thing that ever happened to him. Inside, the others gathered (and Caroline returned from her romp in the woods), still waiting for Katherine to die. Vicki’s ghost made an appearance to chat with Bonnie and Tyler returned as well, as did Alaric’s spirit. Katherine’s spirit appeared in the room for a moment and then refused to die, waking up to Elena standing over her. Both said they had unfinished business and Elena told Katherine that she forgave her. Katherine asked Elena for one last dose of the pain meds and thanked her for her forgiveness.

But Katherine had one more trick up her sleeve and grabbed Elena before chanting the spell Nadia had taught her, then Nadia called Elena’s phone and “activated” Katherine within Elena’s body. When Nadia asked if it worked, Katherine replied “Of course it worked. I’m Katherine Piece. I survive.”

A new episode of The Vampire Diaries will air on January 30. Check out a promo below.

Clarissa is Managing Editor at ScreenFad and former Managing Editor of TVOvermind. A lover of genre shows (like Supernatural and Arrow) and quality dramas (like The Good Wife and Homeland), Clarissa provides on set and event coverage as well as news, spoilers and reviews for all things TV and movies. Follow her at @clarissa373 or email her at clarissa @ screenfad.com.